A New Beginning
by giggles3
Summary: The Hardy family move from their home in NYC to a town called Bayport. Rated PG for some very mild language.
1. Authors Note Chapter 1

+ Authors Note This is my very first fanifc, so bear with me. The story is rated PG for some very mild language in it. And on another note, I do not own any of the characters in this story execept for some originals that will come later in the story, so don't sue me. Criticism is welcomed. That's all for now. Enjoy!  
  
  
  
"Zoom, zoom!"  
  
"No, no! Not like that! Racecars make a vroom vroom sound. Not zoom zoom." Explained eight-year-old Frank Hardy patiently to his year younger brother Joe.  
  
"Ohh...!" nodded blonde headed, blue-eyed Joe looking over at his brown haired, brown eyed brother. His big brother sure did know a lot, Joe thought to himself.  
  
"Here I come!" Frank opened his mouth and made a siren noise. He pushed his blue race car in front of Joe's red one as Joe pushed his backward so Frank's wouldn't crash into it.  
  
"Oh no! He's got me now, what am I going to do? I'm trapped!" Joe said in a panicky voice.  
  
"All right. . . " drawled out Frank. "Stop right there and come out of that car with you hands up, you no-good-dirty-rotten-lilly-livered-piece- of..."  
  
"Franklin Davin Hardy!"  
  
At this both of the boys looked up from their cars to find their petite blonded haired, blue eyed, 29 year old mother, Laura Hardy, standing in the doorway.  
  
"What?" asked Frank looking up at her with an innocent expression on his little face.  
  
Uh oh! Frank thought silently to himself. He knew he had to of had done something wrong for his mother to use his middle name. But what? He couldn't think of a single thing. I mean, they had only gotten there yesterday evening. Unless.....of course, that had to be it. The broken vase. He and Joe had been playing ball in the house, even though they both knew that they shouldn't because their parents had never let them in their old house, but they had never said anything about this house, when the ball bounced off the vase his mom had set on a table , knocking it to the floor making it break.  
  
They had tried to tape it back together and when that didn't work they took the model glue from one of their model car sets and tried to glue it back together, instead of glueing it they had almost gotten their hands glued together in the process. In the end they had put it in a plastic trash bag and put that inside one of the boxes they hadn't unpacked yet. Yep, that was it. She must have found it.  
  
"Ohh..." as sudden realization dawned on Frank.  
  
"Mmm Hmm?" Laura lifted an eyebrow at him.  
  
"I'm really sorry Mom. I didn't mean to break that vase, but..."  
  
"Break that vase!" Mrs. Hardy practically yelled.  
  
Joe seeing that his brother was going to get into trouble and take all of the blame, quickly put in, "But Mom, it wasn't all his fault, it was mine too. You see, Frank threw the ball to me and I missed it and it hit your vase and it fell to the floor and broke." Joe rushed out all in one breath.  
  
"Threw the ball, what were you two doing playing ball in the house? And what vase are the two of you talking about?"  
  
"The one we broke yesterday." Joe stared out tentively. He was starting to get a feeling about all of this. Apparently his brother had the same feeling.  
  
"You didn't know, did you." Frank said quietly.  
  
"No. I don't think I did know. But now that you have confessed, just exactly which vase was it?"  
  
"Ahh... you know, the one with all of the weird looking camels on it." Joe said lightly.  
  
"Weird looking camels? Oh no!", Mrs. Hardy wailed, "Your Aunt Gertrude sent that for our last anniversary. She is going to be so upset."  
  
"Although, that was a good way to get rid of that hideous thing without being rude." Mrs. Hardy murmered distractively to herself.  
  
She looked down at her two sons as she heard a giggle and seen that they were laughing. Joe looking up at her and smiled, "You called it hid - e, hid -e ..."  
  
"Hideous." Frank said also looking up with a smile.  
  
"Just because I didn't think that it was the most attrictive vase in the world . . ."  
  
"Had to be all of those weird camels." Joe broke in lookng thoughtful.  
  
Mrs. Hardy looked at him with a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "That still doesn't help the fact that the two of you broke it. Where is it anyways?"  
  
"We put it in one of the boxes that hasn't been unpacked yet." Frank stated.  
  
"Well, okay then. When your father gets home tonight I am going to tell him about this and you two will see what your punishment will be."  
  
Frank and Joe were looking down at their feet silently.  
  
"Now, on to what I stopped in here for. Frank, I can't believe what I just heard you saying." Mrs. Hardy nodded her head back and forth slowly.  
  
"Huh?" Frank looked at her confused.  
  
"When you were stopping Joe's car."  
  
Oh, are you talking about when I said come out of that car with your hands up you-no-good-dirty-rotten . . ."  
  
"Yes Frank." Mrs. Hardy stopped him from saying more. "That's the words I meant. I just don't know where you would learn to speak that way. Certainly not from me or your father."  
  
"Oh! I learn it from the late night detective tv shows I watch with Dad." Frank exclaimed quite proudly.  
  
"Your father lets you watch those shows late at night!" Mrs. Hardy fumed. She couldn't believe that her husband had let their son watch those shows. Of course he would want to though. Fenton Hardy was now a private detective after recently retiring from the NYPD so they could raise their sons in a better enviroment then New York City. That was why they had packed up their belongings and moved to Bayport, New York, just over a hour away from the city. All Frank and Joe ever talked about now was to become detectives like their father. Mrs. Hardy understood and accepted that, although she was sure they would change their minds many times when they got older about what they wanted to become, but right now thay were only 8 and 7 years old, hardly old enough to be watching the kind of detective shows their father watched.  
  
"Uh huh! Joe too!"  
  
Joe nodded his head and looked up at his mother with sparkling eyes. "Mom, you will never guess! Last night we were watching this one show with Dad while you were out shopping for cleaning junk and we saw this guy get his head blown off with this really big gun and blood spurted everywhere and. . ."  
  
"I think that's enough Joe." Mrs. Hady held up her hand.  
  
"Oh, and mom?"  
  
"Yes Frank?" Mrs. Hardy sighed wearily.  
  
"I was just going to tell you that I wasn't going to use the "sh" word like they do in the shows on TV. I was just going to say crap."  
  
"Yeah mom, Frank was just going to say crap." Joe echoed.  
  
"Boys! I do not want you using the word crap!"  
  
"But mom, crap can't be such a bad word if you said it." Joe said puzzled.  
  
"That's different if I say it Joe."  
  
"But why is it different mom?" Joe asked curious.  
  
"Because . . ." Frank said with feigned wisdom, "She is a grown up so she say what she wants to."  
  
"Oh." Joe was silent for a moment. "Is that like why when Dad gets really made he says damn, but we can't?"  
  
"Joseph Davis Hardy!" shout Mrs. Hardy while Frank just stood there shaking his head at Joe. "When your father gets home you are both going to get punished, and for that matter your father is going to get a piece of my mind! Now I want you two to stay in your room until its time to come down for dinner. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"Mmmpff."  
  
"I can't hear you."  
  
"Yes Ma'am." both boys said looking at her.  
  
"Okay then." Mrs. Hardy said starting to close the door behind her.  
  
"Mom?"  
  
"What is it Joe?" Mrs. Hardy asked opening back up the door.  
  
"How are you going to give Dad a piece of your brain?"  
  
"What!"  
  
"You said you were going to give Dad a piece of your mind. That's the same thing as your brain isn't it?"  
  
"See you at dinner Joe." Mrs. Hardy said sighing and finally closing the door.  
  
"What did I say Frank?" Joe asked his brother when his mom left.  
  
Frank looked at his brother with a skeptical look on his face then just said "Nothing Joe. Nothing at all." 


	2. Chapter 2

I just wanted to say Thank You to the people who reviwed my story, and hopfully I can start updating faster(I doubt it though, so pls try not to get your hopes up) I'm just a kindof slow writer : ) Sorryz! Anyways, here is the awaited Chapter 2!  
  
  
  
  
  
Mrs. Hardy walked down the stairs to the kitchen to prepare dinner for their first "real" night at their new home. "Some of the things those two come up with." Mrs. Hardy murmered outloud to herself as she tried to remember where she had put the pans. "That's my boys though, and I wouldn't have them any other way."  
  
"Now let's see...I want to make this a special dinner, sooo I will make some of my famous chicken-broccoli-rice casserole, scaloped potatoes, corn on the cob, garden salad, rolls ....mmmm ....let's see... some of my homemade punch, and for desert I'll maaake... I know! I'll make one of my chocolate-chip cakes that I know all three of my men just love." finally deciding on what they would be having, Mrs Hardy set to work.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hey Frank" Joe said after about 30 Minutes. Normally Joe wouldn't mind staying in his room with Frank and seeing who could color the best, but it was different when you were made to stay. He felt like he had to get out, besides, he was hungry.  
  
"Hmm?" Frank asked concentrating on his car he was coloring while flicking his eyes over to Joe's and seen that he had merely scribbled over his.  
  
"I'm hungry."  
  
"So? What do You want me to do about it?"  
  
"Get me something."  
  
"Joey...You know Mom isn't going to let you have anything this soon before dinner, and we aren't suppose to leave our room, so we can't go get anything."  
  
"Bu...but, Frankiieee! I'm sooo hungry!"  
  
Frank looked up and saw that Joe had stuck out his lower lip making it quiver slightly, letting out a small whimper, and turned his big imploring puppy-dog eyes on him, threatening to start tearing.  
  
As soon as Frank saw that look, he knew it was a losing battle. It was The Pout. In fact, Frank was the one that had taught it to Joe, which he soon mastered, for he himself had used The Pout many times. As if that wasn't enough already, Joes' stomach chose that moment to emit a small growl.  
  
"See!" Joe cried, "Even my stomach is saying it's hungry."  
  
Frank sighed. "Well, I'm kindof hungry too, sooo...I guess, we could, just maybe...sneak down to the kitchen and get something."  
  
Instantly, as if by some magic, Joe's face transformed from being on the verge of tears, to one big smile. He leaped over his coloring book on Frank and hugged him tightly.  
  
"Oompff!" Franks breath came out in a rush.  
  
"Thank You, thank you, thank you, thank you big brother!" Joe gushed. "I was gonna die if I didn't get outta here!"  
  
"I doubt that." Frank remarked as he got Joe off of him. "But, I felt the exact same way." he said with a smile.  
  
"Okay, first thing we need to do is put on some dark clothes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because."  
  
"Because why?"  
  
"Because. . . . because that's just what you do." said Frank slightly annoyed.  
  
"Ohhh . . .okay."  
  
"Let's put on our black turtle necks, black pants . . .let's see . . . some black socks so our feet will be quieter..." Frank stood for a moment rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Oh yeah! And some gloves so we don't leave fingerprints on anything we touch."  
  
"All right!" Joe yelled enthusiasticly. "Let's put our stuff on."  
  
* * *  
  
"Ahhh! Just right." said Mrs. Hardy taking her cake out of the oven. "Now, all I have to do is to turn it over and get it out of the bunt pan without it falling apart." Mrs. Hardy put a plate on top of the cake and carefully turned over the bunt pan. "That was easy enough. Now only if it didn't stick." She cautiously pulled the pan away from the cake. "Perfect! Now to put some of the chocolate chunks on top." Mrs. Hardy took the rest of the chocolate chunks she had and spread them out on top of the cake. "A job well done even if I have to say so myself. Now all that's not done is my casserole."  
  
Mrs. Hardy stood back and admired her work. She had everything all laid out in the dinning room, using her best china. "Well, while I'm waiting I could unpack the few boxes that we haven't got to yet. No time like the present." And with that Mrs. Hardy turned down her casserole and left the kitchen to go to the den and finish upacking.  
  
* * *  
  
"Okay Joe, do have your walkie talkie on?"  
  
"Roger Frank. And I was thinking that we should use code names."  
  
"That's a great idea Joe! I want to be Batman!"  
  
"Frank! That's not fair!" Joe screamed. "You always get to be Batman!"  
  
"Well, I am older so I should get to choose first, and besides, you can be Robin. Kind of like the sidekick." Frank tried to reason.  
  
"I'm always Robin." Joe grumbled. "I think it would only be fair that neither of us get to be Batman."  
  
"Okay, I guess so." Frank said although he knew if he really wanted to he could just tell Joe that that was the way it was and if he didn't like it, tough. But he didn't, knowing that it really wasn't that fair. He pondered a moment. "I got it! How's about I be Big B and you be Little B."  
  
"Big B and Little B?" asked Joe rather skeptically.  
  
"Yeah! You know, like Big B for Big Brother and Little B for Little Brother."  
  
"Well, its not the same as Batman, but, Little B ain't so bad. I think I even kindof like it!" Joe exclaimed.  
  
"Let's get right to it. Little B, I'm not gonna lie to ya . . ."  
  
"You better not lie to me!"  
  
"Joe! Would you just let me finish! As I was saying . . . I'm not gonna lie to you, this could be a very dangerous mission. We could get caught and get the stuffin's beaten outta us." Joe gulped as Frank paused for a moment. Then with a somber face, "If you should choose to accept this mission with me, there will be no turning back. Do you understand what I have just told you?"  
  
"Yes. I understand what you have told me and I understand that this could be a dangerous mission, and I choose to accept." Joe announced soberly. "I am ready Big B."  
  
"Alright, here's what we do. First we make sure that the passageway from here to the stairs is secure. Then we go down the stairs. When we make it to the bottom, I want you to remain there and be the lookout, while I make sure that the enemy isn't in our target area."  
  
"Target area?"  
  
"The kitchen. Once I have established that it is safe, I will enter and get our objective."  
  
"Objective?"  
  
"The food. Now, if you see the enemy approaching, I want you to warn me, then I want you to move outta there as fast as you can and get back to home base." Frank held up his hand as he saw Joe about to speak agian, "That's our room Joe."  
  
"Oh. What will you do if the enemy comes?"  
  
"I will try to get out. If I'm not behind you, it means I have been captured." Frank said in a subdued tone.  
  
"Oh no! Don't get captured Frank, I don't want you to get captured!" Joe cried out. "Maybe we shouldn't do this." he added.  
  
"We're doing it alright! We are not backing down, we are not cowards! Are we Little B!"  
  
"No." Joe said disheartedly.  
  
"Are we!"  
  
"No." A little louder this time.  
  
"I can' t hear you!"  
  
"No! Big B, NO!" Joe shouted this time as he started for the door. "Let's go do it!"  
  
"Whoa! Hold on a second there, let's make sure we have gone over everything."  
  
"Yeah, right." Joe said calming down.  
  
"That's better. Now, in the event that I should be captured, for that matter, should either one of us be captured, that brother cannot inculpate that the other had anything to do with it."  
  
"Incul-huh?"  
  
"I mean, that if one of us get caught they cannot tell on the other one, so at least one of us will escape the punishment. Are you ready?"  
  
"I'm ready."  
  
At this Frank put his right hand over his heart and said, "Two bodies . . ." while Joe did the same and said, "One heart." They had seen that on a movie once and ever since then that had become their "saying".  
  
They carefully opened up their door making sure it didn't squeak, and peeked out. "No one there, let's go." Frank whispered tip-toeing over to the stairs.  
  
"Stay close to the wall Little B."  
  
"Okay Big B."  
  
They quietly made their way down the stairs. "Okay." Frank said once they had reached the bottom. "Stay here and keep a lookout." He said to Joe who nodded his head.  
  
Frank made his over to the kitchen swinging door, and cautiously pushed it open part way. Seeing no one, he quickly went inside and let the door shut behind him. "I'm in Little B." Frank spoke into his walkie talkie.  
  
"All is quiet here, and be careful Big B." Joe was starting to get a little anxious.  
  
"You too." Frank quickly scanned the kitchen looking for something to take. Ah ha! Frank thought to himself as his eyes landed on something. Perfect!  
  
Just as he was about to pick it up, Joe's voice blarred through his walkie talkie. "Big B, Big B, come in. I repeat, come in!"  
  
"What is it Little B?"  
  
"The enemy is coming your way. I repeat, the enemy is approaching."  
  
"Get outta here now! Return to home base. I will try to follow."  
  
Joe hesitated for just a second then said with resolve. "I'm not leaving you here alone!"  
  
"You can be so stubborn. Well, what is the enemy doing now?"  
  
"The enemy is coming to the door!" Joe said starting to panick.  
  
Hearing this Frank picked up his objective and whirled around to face the door, as he did this he knocked some silverware that was sitting on the counter to the floor. Oh no! Frank thought. I'm a gonner for sure.  
  
Thinking quickly when he heard the crash, knowing he had to save his brother, Joe picked up the nearest thing he saw, which just happened to be the ball he and Frank hadn't put up, and he sent it flying through the air with all of his might right over his mother's head into the room she had come out of. Then there was the sound of it hitting something.  
  
"What in the world was that." Mrs. Hardy took her hand off the door and started going to the rooom the ball went in.  
  
"Big B, Big B! The coast is clear. We have to move now!" Joe shout whispered frantically. He waited until he saw his brother burst through the door with something in his hands, and join him, then as quietly and quickly as they could they ran up the stairs to their room and shut the door. 


	3. Chapter 3

I again just want to thank all of the people who reviewed my story. It put a smile on my face! Thak you for reading it! Here's chapter 3!  
  
  
  
  
  
"Now what could that have been?" Mrs. Hardy looked around the room, her eyes stopping on a ball with one of her picture frames laying beside it on the floor. "How did that happen?" Mrs. Hardy picked up her picture frame and set it back on the table then picked up the ball and looked at it. "This is Franks and Joes. I better go see what that was I heard in the kitchen." With that, Mrs. Hardy put down the ball and headed back to the kitchen. "Why is all of this silverware on the floor?" Mrs. Hardy asked out loud. "Hmmm. . . I think I'll go and see what my boys are doing." with that Mrs. Hardy picked up the silverware and headed up the stairs.  
  
* * *  
  
"Come on Frank, show me what you got!" Joe demanded impatiently looking at the covered plate Frank had in his hands.  
  
"Shhh." Do you hear that?" Frank asked ignoring his brother.  
  
"Hear what?"  
  
"It sounds like someone coming up the stairs!"  
  
"I bet it's Mom! Quick, put the plate under one of the beds!"  
  
"You have got to be kidding me, right?" Frank scoffed. "With everything we have stuffed under our beds, a grasshopper couldn't fit under there!"  
  
"Boys?" Mrs. Hardy called out, starting to turn the knob.  
  
"Uh oh!" Frank stood in the middle of the room with the plate still in his hands.  
  
Just as the door started to swing open, Joe threw himself into it, making it slam shut.  
  
"Hey! What are the two of you doing in there? Open up this door!"  
  
"Mom. . . !"  
  
"Joe? Don't Mom me! This door had better be open before I count to three or . . ."  
  
"Bu-but mommy!"  
  
"One!"  
  
"I can't open the door!"  
  
"Two!"  
  
"We're changin' !" Joe whined while Frank put the plate in their closet.  
  
At this Mrs. Hardy stopped counting. "For goodness sake! Well, hurry up and finish then." Mrs. Hardy gave an exasperated sigh.  
  
Joe looked at Frank who gave him a thumbs up sign, then he let go of the door and went and stood next to his brother. "Okay Mom, you can come in now.We're not naked anymore."  
  
Mrs. Hardy rolled her eyes and opened the door, letting her eyes roam the room, then settling on the boys. "Why were you changing?" Mrs. Hardy asked. "And why all in black?"  
  
Joe looked at his brother. "Why did we change all in black Frank?"  
  
Frank gave hs brother a dirty look. "Uhm . . . we were . . . we were playing funeral!"  
  
"Funeral?"  
  
"Yeah, that's right, we were playing funeral." Joe added, "You see, we had to go to a funeral."  
  
"Okaaay. Who's funeral did you go to?"  
  
Thinking quickly Frank blurted out, "Yours!"  
  
"Mine!" Mrs. Hardy exclaimed shocked. She didn't think she had been that mean to her children in their short lives for them to want her to be dead.  
  
"Yours and Dads!"  
  
"You see mom. What happened was, we all went on a cruise, and there was a mutiny, and the people on the cruise didn't like brown or blonde haired people, because they were all redheaded, and they threw you and dad over into the ocean, but me and Joe hid, so we didn't get thrown in . . ."  
  
"Yeah!" Joe said getting caught up in the story, though he still had no idea what a mutiny was. "And there was this really big, I mean, huge whale, and it swallowed you and Dad up whole. So when we got back to land, me and Frank snuck away and we told the police that our parents were eatin' by a whale, 'cause the redheads threw ya'll away, and they went and caught all the redheads and sent them to prison, where they had to write "I will not throw people to man-eatin' whales" for the rest of their pit-e-ful lives!"  
  
"Uh huh!" said Frank taking up the story. "And when we got home we had to have a funeral for ya'll, because you were our parents, of course though, we didn't have ya'lls bodies to bury, 'cause they were still inside the whale. But, we still got you both tombstones with ya'lls names on them and flowers and stuff. And at the funeral we said all kinds of nice things about you, because you birthed us, and about Dad, because he helped you make us. . . . and that's why . . ."  
  
"And, that's why we're wearing all black!" Joe finished, and looked at his mom.  
  
When they were finished, Mrs. Hardy's mouth hung open and her face had gone a shade paler than it normally was. "Uhmm . . .that was very . . .interesting. I just came up here to tell you that dinner will be ready shortly when your father gets home." Mrs. Hardy turned to leave. "Oh, and boys."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I don't think I want you going around playing funeral anymore. Okay?"  
  
"Okay, mom." They both said. And with that Mrs. Hardy left.  
  
As soon as she left, they both burst out laughing. "Did you see the look on her face?" Joe asked between peals of laughter.  
  
"I sure did!"  
  
When they finally calmed down. "That was a close."  
  
"It sure was." Frank agreed. "I just knew we were gonna get caught. Oh yeah! I almost forgot. Wait until you see what I got." Frank then went to the closet and took the plate out and uncovered it for Joe to see.  
  
"Wow! A chocoate chip cake!" Joe exclaimed happily. "I love those!"  
  
"So do I. Lets eat!" Frank looked around. "Rats!"  
  
"What is it?" Joe asked thinking something as wrong.  
  
"I forgot to get forks." Frank said glumly.  
  
"Is that all? Who needs forks when God gave us two good hands with working fingers?" Joe asked with a twinkle in his eyes.  
  
Frank smiled. "Not us!" And with that he and Joe dug in with their two good hands with working fingers.  
  
11 minutes 37 seconds later  
  
"Frank? I don't feel too good. I think I'm sick."  
  
"You think your sick? You are sick, with all of that chocolate on your mouth and hands."  
  
"Hey!" Joe cried indignantly. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror? I'm not the only one with chocolate all over himself."  
  
"Joe, just be quiet right now, I don't fell to good either. Well, what can we expect when we just ate a whole cake in less than 15 minutes. I don't even think there is one crumb left."  
  
At this Joe looked over at the plate, reached down, stuck his finger to it, put it in his mouth, and replied, "Not any more."  
  
"Hey Frankie." Joe said as he crawled over to where his brother lay. "I'm not hungry anymore."  
  
Frank just smiled wryly at him. "Come on Joe. We better wash ourselves off before it is time for dinner. Mom said it wouldn't be that much longer."  
  
Joe just groaned and let Frank pull him to his feet as they went to the bathroom and wahed up.  
  
* * *  
  
A tall, handsome, dark-haired, man of 30 stepped out of his car in front of the house on the corner of Elm street and quietly opened the front door. Hearing humming coming from the kitchen he made his way there, then over to the form in front of the oven and was about to grab her when . . .  
  
"Don't you even think about it Fenton Hardy." Mrs. Hardy said turning around to see her husband of 9 years.  
  
"Hello Honey!" Mr. Hardy said smiling sheepishly at his wife then enveloping her in a tight hug and a kiss on the lips.  
  
"Hey Stranger!" Mrs. Hardy smiled and pulled away. "So, did you get them?"  
  
Mr. Hardy looked down at the floor.  
  
"Oh....Honey I'm so sorry, I . . ."  
  
Fenton looked up from the floor with a huge smile on his face. "I got them." He announced happily. "You are now looking at a licensed private detective."  
  
"That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you. Wait until the boys hear."  
  
"Where are the boys anyways?"  
  
"Up in their room."  
  
"Why are they up there? I thought they would be roaming the house or outside."  
  
"We'll talk about it at dinner. Can you go get them for me and tell them dinners done?"  
  
"MmmHmm! I'm as hungry as a bear. Be right back.  
  
* * *  
  
"There. That's better."  
  
"Hey Frank, my stomach still hurts though."  
  
"So does mine." Frank frowned, then brightened. "Maybe we're having sandwiches again tonight. That what be that hard to eat."  
  
"I guess so." Joe said doubtfuly as they were coming out of the bathroom.  
  
"Hello boys!" Fenton said surprising them.  
  
"Daddy!" Both boys exclaimed and ran to their father who gave them a big bear hug.  
  
"So, are you finally a you-know-what?" Frank asked excitily.  
  
"What?" Mr. Hardy asked playing dumb.  
  
"Dad!" Joe exclaimed.  
  
Mr. Hardy laughed. "Yes! I finally am a you-know-what!"  
  
Both boys let out loud glee's of joy.  
  
"Boy, wait till we start school Joe, and we can tell all of the kids that our father is a private detective!"  
  
"Hey Dad?" Joe asked while Fenton laughed, "Are going to be like the one's on tv?"  
  
"Sorta." Mr. Hardy responded. "Come on, let's get down to dinner before your mom sends out a search party."  
  
Mr. Hardy started down the stairs while the boys looked at each other and followed slowly behind. 


	4. Chapter 4

I just wanted to thak all of my reviewers Thank you! Thank you! *blushes and bows, whiles blowing kisses and waving*  
  
I'm sorry it has taking me so long to update : ( I've been sick sick with some sortof flu thingy. I hope to update quicker. Anyways, here is chapter 4. I hope ya enjoy it : )  
  
  
  
  
  
"Well, well, well, doesn't everything look nice." Mr. Hardy said as he came into the dinning room with the boys. "Aren't these your best plates?"  
  
"Yes they are. I wanted tonight to be special. Let's all sit down."  
  
"Here you are my dear." Mr. Hardy said pulling out a chair at one head of the table, while he took the other, and Frank slid into a chair on one side of the table.  
  
"Why Joe, honey, what in the world are you doing?" asked Mrs. Hardy as she saw Joe dragging his chair over to Frank's side. "I set a place up for you right there."  
  
"I know." Joe said, now moving his plate, silverware, and glass over. "I just wanted to sit by Frank tonight."  
  
Frank smiled understandingly. For some reason when they were going to get in trouble, as they knew they were going now, it didn't feel as bad when they were together, even if it was just sitting together.  
  
"Is everyone all settled in now?" Mrs. Hardy asked eyeing Joe particularly, who nodded his head. "Alright then, Fenton, would you please say the blessing."  
  
"Certainly." Mr. Hardy said clearly his throat. "Dear Lord, we would like to thank you for each other , our wonderful new home, and for this food that is set before us. . ." Mr. Hardy paused for a moment with a boyish grin on his face, "And Lord, I would especially like to thank you for me getting to be a detctive. Amen.Let's eat! Laura, could you pass me the casserole?"  
  
Mrs. Hardy suppressed a smile. "Here you are. Boys, aren't you hungry?" Mrs. Hardy asked seeing that they hadn't put anything on their plates. "I thought you'd be starving by now."  
  
"Of course mom." Frank said handing her his plate, and forcing a smile. "Could you please get me some of your wonderful casserole and potatoes."  
  
"Would you like some punch too dear?"asked Mrs. Hardy heaping his plate.  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
"Me too mom." Joe said now giving her his plate and glass. "Please." He added as an afterthought. After getting his plate handed back to him, Joe just starred at it, wondering what he was going to do. He lifted his head and looked over at Frank to see how he was doing, and seen that he merely pushing his food around with his fork.  
  
Frank feeling someone's eyes on him, looked over at his brother. They looked at each other, each one hoping to see a light in the other's eyes, giving them some hope as to what they could do. Seeing none, they both turned back to their food.  
  
"So, Fenton honey, who is the Bayport police chief, and what is he like?" Mrs. Hardy asked taking a drink of her punch.  
  
"His name is Ezra Collig, which he told me stiffly that I could address him as Chief Collig. He seems pretty rough and tough on the outside, but I'm sure he's just a big softie at heart. There's this one rookie cop I got on pretty well with. His name is Con Riley. Oh! Chief Colig is even handing me a case they've had for a few weeks. It's nother really big, but it will be enough where I can get my name built up some and people will hire me. He didn't seem too fond of letting me work on it. I suspect the only reason I get a try at it is, is because of Chief Henderson of the NYPD put in a good word for me." Mr. Hardy paused for a moment. "I sure hope I don't blow it."  
  
"I'm sure you'll do fine dear."  
  
"A case! Wow!" Frank exclaimed forgetting about his woes for the moment and looking up from his plate. "Joe, Dad really is going to be like the detectives on tv."  
  
Mr. Hardy smiled with pleasure.  
  
"Fenton, that reminds me." Mrs. Hardy said eyeing her husband. "The boys told me something very interesting today. It seems that you have been leting them watch certain detective tv shows, that I don't find proper for a 7 and 8 year old to watch."  
  
"What shows would that be dear?" Mr. Hardy asked not looking at her.  
  
"I'm talking about the shows like the one you let them watch last night while I was gone."  
  
"Oh . . . those shows. Bu - but honey, they aren't that bad of shows, they really pretty good. Besides Frank and Joe just love them." Mr. Hardy turned to his sons desperatly. "Don't you guys."  
  
Both boys looked at each other and opened their mouths to speak, but one look at their mother's fiery face and they held their tongues.  
  
"Fenton, I do not want them watching those shows anymore. Understood." Mrs. Hardy raised her eyebrows at her husband.  
  
Mr. Hardy nodded his head.  
  
"I can't hear your head nod." Mrs. Hardy told him as if she were speaking to her sons.  
  
"Yes dear." Mr. Hardy mumbled while his sons tried to stiffle their giggles. Their father was getting in trouble by their mother.  
  
"I mean, you should have heard what Frank was saying today, he and Joe were playing and he called Joe's person dirty-rotten-lilly-livered, and I don't know what all. Oh, but he did tell me that he wasn't going to use the "sh" word mom, he was just going to say crap." Mrs. Hardy paused and lowered her voice to a whisper, as if she was afraid the neighbors would hear. "And Joe, Joe said the "D" word."  
  
At this Mr. Hardy couldn't hold it in any longer, and he started laughing.  
  
"Fenton!"  
  
"I'm sorry, it's just that it just struck me as funny dear."  
  
"Don't say that! Now their going to think that everytime they do something wrong you are just going to laugh and it will be okay." Mrs. Hardy pointed to their smiling sons.  
  
And indeed Frank was smiling, for he had just came up with a plan.  
  
"Mom. . . mom?"  
  
"What is it Frank."Mrs. Hardy asked looking at her son.  
  
"I need some more napkins."  
  
"Here." Mrs. Hardy said passing him a handful, turning back to her husband.  
  
Joe wondered what Frank was up to as he watched his mom pass Frank some napkins. He had seen the way Frank had smiled and the look in his eyes. He watched as Frank took a huge bite of his now cold casserole, chewed some, then look at his parents. It seemed to Joe as if he was making sure his parents were still bickering with each other and not paying any attention to them, then he brought his napkin up to his mouth and coughed a little, after this he wadded up his napkin, he sat it beside his plate and did the same thing over again.  
  
"Hey mom, I need some more napkins too, this casserole can be messy." Joe said while his mom handed him some more napkins. Finally understanding what his brother was doing, Joe grabbed his napkins and got to coughing.  
  
* * *  
  
"Boys?" Mrs. Hardy asked just as the two of them finished their plates, with a hill of wadded up napkins between them. "Are you two coming down with something? You coughed an awfully lot during dinner."  
  
"Oh no mom! We're fine. We're done with dinner. Can me and Joe go now?" asked Frank as he and Joe started to rise.  
  
"Sit back down boys. I still haven't told your father about the vase."  
  
"You mean there's more?" Mr. Hardy asked eyeing his wife wearily.  
  
"Yes. Do you know what your sons did? They were playing ball in the house when they knew they shouldn't have, and they broke the vase that your sister sent to us for our last anniversary. And what's worse is they tried to hide it from us."  
  
"You mean the one with all of the weird looking camels on it? I never did like it."  
  
"That's what I said Dad!" Joe exclaimed.  
  
"Look!" Mrs. Hardy said finally losing it. "I know it had weird looking camels on it. And I know that nobody liked. But that is entirely beside the point. The point is that they broke it while they were playing ball in the house and they tried to hide it from us!"  
  
All of the Hardy men looked at her as she sat their fuming. Boy, was mom mad, it looked like smoke was coming out of her nose.Frank and Joe were thinking while Mr. Hardy thought, it must be that time of month.  
  
A thick silence hung in the air until Mr. Hardy started forth tentatively. "What do you want me to do dear?"  
  
"Punish them!" Mrs. Hardy yelled fusterated. Honestly, she thought, sometimes her husband didn't have a clue, and here he was going to be a detective.  
  
"Alright. Boys, stand up." Mr. Hardy said in a somber tone while standing up himself.  
  
Frank and Joe looked at each other then slowly stood up. "What are you doing?" Mrs. Hardy asked her husband, her anger fading away as she saw him taking off his belt.  
  
"You said to punish them and that is what I am going to do. Joe, come here." Mr. Hardy said even more somberly.  
  
Frank looked at his younger brother and he felt like he had to protect him,even if it was just from a whipping, after all, he thought, he was the older brother. He was suppose to take care of his baby brother. He bravely stepped in front of Joe as he was about to go to their father. "Let me go first Dad. Actually, Joe didn't do anything at all. It was all me. I should be the only one getting punished."  
  
"You will both get punished Frank, but you can go first."  
  
Joe gave his big brother a small smile and squeazed Frank's hand as he stepped foward.  
  
"Bend over Frank." Mr. Hardy said his voice quiet and quivering slightly.  
  
Mrs. Hardy had been watching all of this quietly and when Mr. Hardy brung his belt up and was just about to let it go, she cried out. "Stop! Dont' you dare whip my babies!" Mrs. Hardy said glaring at her husband. "Come her honeys." at this Frank and Joe ran to her and she hugged them tightly, crying silent tears. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have screamed at you."  
  
"It's okay mom. Don't cry." Frank said while Joe patted her on the back.  
  
"Fenton, we don't have to whip them over a silly little vase, do we?"  
  
"No dear, I don't think that vase is worth whipping them over." Mr. Hardy let a out a breath he hadn't relised he had been holding. No matter how many times he had whipped them before, it was still just as hard as the first time, and he was secretly pleased he didn't have to whip them right then.  
  
"Good, I'm sure we can come up with soemthing more practical anyway." Mrs. Hardy said rising and motioning for everyone to sit back down. "Would you like no tv for a week, no dessert for a week, or having to go to bed at eight for the rest of the week?" Mrs. Hardy asked looking at her sons.  
  
Before either one of the boys could answer her Mr. Hardy spoke up. "Laura, I agree that we can do something besides whipping them, but don't you think that letting them pick their own punishment is letting them off a little too easily?"  
  
"Oh . . .I . . ."  
  
"What about no tv for a week. That okay with you?"  
  
"That would be fine." Mrs. Hardy said with a small smile. "Well, now that that's all cleared up . . ."  
  
"You mean there's nothing else?" Mr. Hardy teased.  
  
"I'll go get the dessert." Mrs. Hardy said ignoring her husbands teasing." Mrs. Hardy went in the kitchen and came back out with a puzzled expression on her face. "I can't find the dessert. I know I sat it on the counter."  
  
"What did you make?"  
  
"A chocolate-chip cake."  
  
"Mmmm . . . I love those. Maybe you put it in the ice-box dear."  
  
"No . . .I . . . boys, were are you going?" Mrs. Hardy asked looking at her two sons who were trying to slink away from the table unnoticed.  
  
"We don't really feel like dessert tonight mom. I'm stuffed with all of that dinner I ate." Joe said pushing his chair in.  
  
"Yeah." added Frank, "I'm also pretty tired, think I'll go to bed."  
  
"Me too." Joe pulled on Franks arm and they started moving out of the dining room.  
  
"Hold on boys." Frank and Joe froze." Put your plates up first." Mrs. Hardy said gazing at her two sons intently.  
  
"Okay mom." They both went back and began pilling all of their napkins up on their plates.  
  
"You two sure did use a lot of napkins."  
  
"It was sure messy." Joe said giving her a nervous smile.  
  
"Let me see one of those." Mrs. Hardy said holding out her hand.  
  
"Why mom? There are some clean ones right there." Frank said not giving her anything.  
  
"Boys, do as your mother says."  
  
Joe looked at Frank then slowly handed his mom one of the wadded up napkins. "Joe!" Mrs. Hardy yelped. "Look dear." Mrs. Hardy said handing it to her husband.  
  
"Are yours like this too Frank?" Mr. Hardy asked looking at his eldest son. "Yes, sir."  
  
"Why would you two spit all of your food in these napkins? I mean I thought the food tasted . ."  
  
"Hon?" Mr. Hardy interrupted his wife. "I don't think this is about how the food tasted. Is it?" Mr. Hardy asked eyeing his two sons sternly. He had put one and one together, and came up with the perfect answer. When his wife told him she couldn't find the dessert, and obviously his sons weren't hungry at dinner, and didn't want anyone to know it, since they had so deviously tried to conceal it.  
  
Frank just looked at him in silence, but Joe just couldn't take that look his father was giving them, and he caved in. "They would have found out anyways." Joe said looking at his brother who gave him a dirty look, then sighed. "I guess so." And with that the whole story came flowing out.  
  
"And when we got back up in our room, Frank had forgotten the forks so we had to use our hands, and we were just finishing washing up when Dad came home and said it was time for dinner." said Joe finishing up the tale.  
  
Mr. and Mrs. Hardy were silent for a while. "So the crashes I heard, that was you two?" Frank and Joe nodded. "And that's why I couldn't find the cake." Another nod. Mrs. Hardy's face had gone red, and the boys and Mr. Hardy feared she was going to blow up again, and that's why it surprised them when she started laughing. "Good Heavens!" Mrs. Hardy got out between spurts of laughter.  
  
"So your not mad at us?"  
  
"Well, you shouldn't have done that, but I think you two learned your lesson. You probably both have pretty bad tummy aches, don't you?" Both boys nodded. "Come on Fenton. Let's get these two mosters to bed."  
  
* * *  
  
"So, we're not going to get into trouble for it?" Joe still couldn't believe his mother had just started laughing like that. He thought she had gone crazy, and by the look on his brother's and dad's faces, they had too.  
  
"Don't forget you still can't watch tv for a week though." Mr hardy said opening the boys door.  
  
"We won't Dad." Frank said as his father hugged him and Joe goodnight and went down stairs.  
  
"Try to get to sleep soon okay." Mrs. Hardy said as she finished hugging and kissing her sons. She knew they would probably talk or play for awhile, though she also knew that if she heard them and came to check on them, they would appear to be fast asleep. "Tomarrow we are going to go shopping for clothes and your school supplies. Less than a week away."  
  
"Hey mom, what is our school's name going to be?"  
  
"Bayport Elementary."  
  
"Ooooohhh . . . how imaginative." Joe muttered sarcasticaly.  
  
"Just try to make the best of it okay." Mrs. Hardy said closing the door. She knew her sons hated having to change schools and leave all of their friends behind, but this would be better for them. "I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."  
  
* * *  
  
"Frank, what do you think the kids at our new school are going to be like?" Joe asked his brother. They had just gotten through brushing their teeth getting ready to go to bed, after playing for about thirty minutes.  
  
"I don't know Joe." Frank said pulling his covers up over him. "I suppose just like any other kids. We'll know when we start."  
  
Joe didn't seem too satisfied with that answer, but he figured it would have to do, and got up to turn the lights out. "Frank did you plug the you-know-what in?"  
  
"Yeah I plugged it in right inbetween our beds."  
  
"Good." Joe turned the lights off and jumped into his bed. He didn't like a lot of people to know, but he was still afraid of the dark and liked to sleep with a nightlight on. Luckily his brother didn't tease him too much about it.  
  
"Frank? What are you doing?"  
  
"Trying to go to sleep. Which is what you should be doing."  
  
"Frank?"  
  
"What Joe?" Frank asked tiredly. He had just about gotten to sleep when Joe called his name again.  
  
"You know that this is a new house and - and I . . ."Joe faltered  
  
"Joe, you do know that we are less than 3 feet away don't you?" Frank already knowing where his brother was going.  
  
"I know. I just, I mean . . .I "  
  
"Come on Joe." Frank said pulling his covers back. "Get in"  
  
Joe eagerly hopped out of his bed, and into his brothers, snuggling down under the covers. I mean, after all, he reasoned, this was a strange, new house, it wasn't the first night, but his family had all been togther that night, just throwing sleeping bags on the den floor.  
  
"Frank?"  
  
Normally Frank would be getting pretty fusterated with Joe right about now, but he was just too tired to care. "What is it now Joe, do you need more cover?"  
  
"No, I just wanted to tell you goodnight." Joe yawned sleeply, "Goodnight big brother."  
  
"Good night little brother." Frank mummbled, "Don't let the bed bugs bite."  
  
"Yeah, you too." Joe let his eyelids close, and soon both were fast asleep. 


End file.
